Description

The Office of Senate Counsel is a dynamic legal office providing essential and high-priority legal services to the Massachusetts Senate. From reviewing legislation to delivering important advice and counsel to the Senate, its members, and its employees, the Office of Senate Counsel offers the opportunity to work on consequential matters in a fascinating work environment. The attorneys in the Office of Senate Counsel work at the intersection of law and public policy, providing legal assistance to elected policymakers. The Office of Senate Counsel now seeks an energetic lawyer with a passion for public service and a desire to use their legal skills to assist the Commonwealth.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Assistant Senate Counsel is the foundational and entry-level legal counsel position in the Office of Senate Counsel. The Assistant Senate Counsel works as part of a team to ensure that every piece of legislation, including the annual state budget, is in proper form when it reaches the Senate floor. The Assistant Senate Counsel drafts and reviews legislation and assists the Senate Counsel and Deputy Senate Counsel with other legal work. The Assistant Senate Counsel also serves as a legal resource to other Senate offices. The Assistant Senate Counsel reports to the Senate Counsel and the Deputy Senate Counsel.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Draft and review legislation on a wide range of policy issues with a focus on ensuring consistent form and constitutionality and avoiding the duplication or contradiction of existing law.

• Work with Senate staff and with state and local officials to identify and address legal issues raised by bills.

• Review Senate and Joint Senate and House resolutions with special attention paid to fact-checking, form, tone, and appropriateness of the content and purpose of the resolution.

• Research legal issues, including new and novel legal questions, for the Senate Counsel and Deputy Senate Counsel.

• Assist Senate offices in drafting legislation.

Other Duties and Responsibilities May Include:

• Assist the Senate Counsel and Deputy Senate Counsel with other legal work, including, but not limited to, litigation, procurement, personnel, information technology, and compliance matters.

• Answer questions from Senate offices on ethics laws and other policies or legal issues.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

The Senate’s total compensation package features an outstanding set of state employee benefits for eligible employees which you may consider towards your overall compensation, including, but not limited to:

• 75% state-paid medical insurance premium

• Reasonable Dental and Vision Plans

• Flexible Spending Accounts and Dependent Care Assistance programs

• Low-cost basic and optional life insurance - Retirement Savings: State Employees' Pension and a Deferred Compensation 457(b) plan

• 12 paid holidays per year and competitive Sick, Vacation, and Personal Time

• Competitive Senate-sponsored parental leave - Tuition Benefit for employees and spouses at state colleges and universities

• Long-Term Disability and Extended Illness program participation options

• Employee Assistance Programs - Professional Development and Continuing Education opportunities

• Qualified Employer for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program

The Senate requires all Senate employees to have received COVID-19 vaccination or to have been approved for an exemption as a condition of employment. Finalists will be given details about how to demonstrate receipt of vaccination or request an exemption due to a sincerely held religious belief or medical reason not to be vaccinated.

The Massachusetts Senate is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy, military, and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Our goal is to be a workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the diverse commonwealth we serve, and women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to counsel.admin@masenate.gov before Friday, March 24, at 5:00 PM.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Juris Doctor (JD) degree, at least 1 year of relevant work experience, and a member in good standing of the Massachusetts bar. A graduate degree or higher in a related field may be substituted for 1 year of relevant work experience.
2. Ability to read, interpret, research, and analyze federal and state laws and other rules and regulations related to state governance.
3. Basic understanding of the legislative process, legislative drafting, and state government operations.
4. Excellent oral and written communication skills.
5. Excellent interpersonal skills and temperament to communicate with a variety of personalities and stakeholders in a tactful, positive, collaborative, and professional manner.
6. Strong organizational skills and excellent attention to detail. 
7. Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
8. Ability to think critically and work both independently and as part of a team.
9. Ability to produce quality work under pressure and in a fast-paced environment.
10. Ability to maintain a flexible schedule including working extended hours, possibly on nights and weekends.